


Breaking Bread

by kmd0107



Series: Breaking the Rules [3]
Category: Veronica Mars (Movie 2014), Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Family Bonding, Gen, Meet the Family, Thanksgiving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2020-10-25 13:15:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20724791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kmd0107/pseuds/kmd0107
Summary: Logan Meets the Mars-Fennels. Set in the Breaking the Rules Universe. If you haven't read Breaking the Rules and Breaking News, you may find yourself confused.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AN: I’m so excited to finally get to share this with you all. I’ve broken it into three chapters since it got quite long. Thanks to a stupid cold followed by a stomach bug, I’m still working through edits on the last part, but I didn’t want to make you all wait any longer! I’ll be posting Chapters 2 and 3 as quickly as possible. 
> 
> Huge thanks to Bondopoulos Irma66 for their beta wonderfulness :) And also to all of you who have encouraged me to get this done over the last three years. All of your kind words have meant to world to me!

Veronica looked out the small window, taking in the turquoise waves as they broke far below her into white foam against a vibrant backdrop of golden beach and varying green hills to colorful cityscapes. It was one of the most beautiful sights she’d seen. It would have been a moment to cement as a favorite memory if it weren’t for the pounding in her chest that wouldn’t let her forget her fear of small aircraft.  
  
“Isn’t it amazing?” Logan asked from the pilot’s seat where he sat looking confident and competent, offering a modicum of comfort, but not enough to decrease Veronica’s blood pressure.  
  
“Yes. It is. How much longer do we have?” Veronica asked, hoping her voice didn’t sound as squeaky as it felt.  
  
A short snort preceded Logan’s voice. “We’ve been in the air a little over half an hour, so probably about three hours. Regretting not flying commercial already?”  
  
Veronica kind of was but was able to recognize when she was being irrational and was not about to let herself give in to it. “Of course not. Just trying to stay informed.”  
  
“If I’d known you’d be so anxious I would have asked Dick to hook us up with some Ambien.”  
  
The thought of dosing herself with something only made her heart pick up and race faster. There was no winning, it seemed.  
  
A warm hand settled on hers, and she looked up at Logan, who was now angled her way. “It’s okay, you know. To be nervous. I promise this is a really safe trip. I’m a good pilot, and this is like the Volvo of planes.”  
  
“Maybe you should keep your hands on the controls of this Volvo before we plummet to the ground,” she said, both serious and teasing.  
  
“Cruise control.” Logan gave her a wink and turned back in his seat, hands settling back on the controls.  
  
Cruise control indeed. Veronica took a deep yoga breath and tried to settle back into her seat, but it was no good. The seats were covered with supple leather that projected just the right amount of warmth thanks to the precise heating controls, but it did nothing for her. Rather than attempt to get comfortable, she pulled out her tablet. Maybe a distraction would calm her nerves.  
  
She’d saved a few emails for offline viewing, specifically the ones from Parker Lee, Aaron Echolls’ publicist—now their publicist. Parker had sent a very detailed email complete with pictures of their clothing options for some premiere they would be attending for Aaron’s holiday release, something stupid like Crossfire Christmas.  
  
The email loaded, and Veronica couldn’t resist her scoff at the images of gaudy dresses Parker had suggested.  
  
“Find something to get your mind off our imminent deaths?”  
  
“I no longer fear death, anything would be better than what your father’s publicist has planned for me,” she said, turning her tablet to Logan, who burst out laughing. “She can’t expect me to wear that, can she?”  
  
“Oh Bobcat, it’s not so—” he cleared his throat around a laugh “—bad. You’d make a cute swan. Think of it this way, Parker is complimenting you. She thinks you have the body to pull it off, which you do,” he said leering at her.  
  
She looked back down at the feather dress that kind of reminded her of the White Swan, except for the neckline, which would plunge nearly to her waist. “No way.”  
  
“Don’t worry, Aaron would never okay something that would attract that much attention. Remember we’re his props. We can’t divert attention from him. And besides, I’m going to get us out of that.”  
  
“And how do you propose to do that? We owe him. I hate that he has control of you and it’s my fault.”  
  
“You don’t get to blame yourself for that. If it hadn’t been this, it would have been something else. Aaron would have found a way. The man is relentless and resourceful, and I’m his favorite toy. He won’t let me go until one of us is dead. He’d love that, getting to be the mourning father.” He huffed a mirthless laugh.  
  
Veronica reached out and took his hand. There wasn’t anything to say. She was sure it was the truth.

* * *

  
Veronica sat in the driver’s seat of their rental car, staring across the street at her dad and Alicia’s house. She wiped her clammy hands on her jeans and tried to ignore the pulse of her anxiety. She’d never done the “bringing a boy home” thing before. Leo didn’t count since her family had already known him. Piz definitely didn’t count, since she hadn’t invited him to her home, and they weren’t a couple. Her previous experiences were not the stuff of fairy tales, that was for sure.  
  
She turned to Logan. “Maybe this was a bad idea. They haven’t spotted us yet. We could still make a clean getaway.” She reached to turn the ignition.  
  
A warm hand closed down on hers, extracting the keys. “No, Bobcat, Alicia would be heartbroken. And what about Wallace and Darrel?”  
  
Veronica growled her frustration. Of course, he was right, but that didn’t mean she had to like it.  
  
“Now stop hiding. It’s Thanksgiving Eve, and we’re going to spend it with your family.” He turned and got out of the car.  
  
“That’s not a thing,” Veronica said, getting out as well. She made her way around the car, and there was Logan, a natural smile on his face, hand held out for her to take. Veronica entwined their fingers gratefully. “No innuendos, no jokes—”  
  
Logan pulled them to a stop as they reached the sidewalk. “Veronica, I am an adult who runs a successful business based on my people skills. I’m pretty sure I can have polite small talk with your father.”  
  
“You say that now…” Veronica mumbled under her breath.  
  
“Come on, I’m not going to say anything bad,” Logan said. He placed a quick kiss on her temple and then resumed moving them up the walkway to the front door.  
  
“Why did I agree to this?” Veronica groaned.  
  
Logan smirked, and raised his hand to knock on the door. “Remember that time your father tried to marry you off to someone else?”  
  
“Right…that.”

* * *

  
Logan gave the door a few quick raps and stepped back, anticipating someone opening the door. After a moment’s wait, Logan knocked again. And he waited some more.  
  
He turned to Veronica and said, “They are expecting us, right?”  
  
She nodded slowly, a smile breaking out on her face. “It’s our chance. You can’t tell me this isn’t the universe telling us to make a break for…”  
  
“Not a chance, Mars.” He shook his head and reached for the doorbell giving it a quick push.  
  
Still, no sound came from inside the house. If Logan weren’t so determined to use this visit to get the Mars family on Team Logan, he’d have given into Veronica. Maybe headed up to Vancouver for a little private R&R at a B&B. But that would have to wait because this was an important trip. He really did want Veronica’s family to like him—well, her dad, the rest of her extended family seemed to be supportive.  
  
The sound of a car turning onto the street drew his attention, and he felt Veronica tense and then sag against him as a gold-colored Saturn SUV pulled into the driveway.  
  
As the car pulled in the driveway, Logan recognized Alicia, from the family pictures Veronica had shown him, behind the wheel. Next to her was Veronica’s father.  
  
The butterflies that had been occupying his stomach turned to a swarm of bees. It felt like one of those make-or-break moments, the turning point of his relationship with Veronica. He took a deep breath and reminded himself that it wasn’t. Meeting the parents was a normal milestone in real relationships, which is what he had with Veronica. This wasn’t one of his dad’s whacked-out life imitates art productions.  
  
Veronica squeezed his hand. “If we run, we can still make it to the car.”  
  
He snorted and shook his head. “Nope.”  
  
“Veronica!” Alicia called, getting out of the SUV and rushing forward to greet them. “It feels like it’s been years. We’ve missed you so much,” she said, wrapping Veronica in a tight hug. Alicia let go of Veronica and turned her attention to Logan. “Well, aren’t you handsome.”  
  
Logan started to reach out his hand to shake hers in greeting, but she surprised him with a warm hug instead. After a slight hesitation, Logan embraced her back.  
  
“It’s so great to finally get to meet you,” Alicia said as she released him. When she glanced back at the SUV, Logan could just make out a frown. He followed her line of sight to Keith Mars fumbling with grocery bags still on the passenger’s side. “Those can wait, you know! Get over here and say hello.”  
  
Logan couldn’t suppress his smile at her scolding. Logan heard Keith grumping to himself as he made his way around the car, two grocery bags held tightly to his chest. Logan’s smile slid off his face as he considered how to greet Keith. Thanks to the bags, a handshake was out. And while a verbal greeting was the apparent solution, Logan can’t find his voice.  
  
“Dad…” Veronica said, hesitation and disappointment all wrapped up in the word.  
  
“Hi, Honey, it’s nice to see you.” He turned to Logan and curtly nodded his head. “Let’s get inside; it’s cold.”  
  
Logan watched everyone troop into the house but found himself frozen in place. A nod was not quite the greeting he’d hoped for, but it was better than being told to GTFO, so maybe he would call this a draw. Apparently, he’d hesitated too long because as he turned to join everyone in the house, he came face to face with the man himself, now sans grocery bags.  
  
“I did mean all of us. Though according to my wife, I owe you a proper welcome, and since she’s always right…” His words stalled out.  
  
Logan knew how to do this; he’d had public relations training since he was old enough to speak. He shook off his nerves, held out his hand, and said, “Mr. Mars, it’s really nice to meet you. Thank you for including me in your family’s Thanksgiving.”  
  
Keith took his hand and gave it a firm shake, not too tight like an asshole, and not soft like a fish, firm and confident. “It’s nice to meet you too,” he said, and if his words weren’t as assuring as his handshake. Logan figured it was to be expected. “Those two didn’t give me much choice.” Keith rubbed his hands together, staving off the cold. “Let’s get inside.”  
  
Still not the greeting he’d hoped for, but it was an honest start.

* * *

  
“What’s taking so long?” Veronica asked, pulling canned cranberry sauce from one of the bags.  
  
“I imagine they’re sizing each other up, or at least that’s what your father is doing,” Alicia said with a laugh.  
  
“Ugh! Why is he acting like this? Logan’s great. I know Dad did a background check; he knows he’s not a criminal.” Veronica hopped up onto the counter and leaned back against the cabinets. It brought her almost eye level with Alicia.  
  
“Not a criminal is a pretty low bar, Honey.” Alicia closed the cupboard in which she’d just placed a box of cereal and turned to face Veronica. The small line between her eyes was just barely forming, a sure sign that Veronica had better listen or risk upsetting her stepmother. “Don’t be too hard on your father; he loves you and worries about you. The last few months have been very hard on him.”  
  
Veronica opened her mouth to interrupt, but Alicia held up a hand to stop her.  
  
“I know, not as hard as they have been on you. But that’s sort of the point, Sweetheart. It’s hard for parents to let go, let alone have to watch one of our babies struggle. Do you think it’s easy for me to see my first-born head off to unstable countries? Lord, how did we end up with children with such true moral compasses?”  
  
Veronica couldn’t help but laugh. It was a phrase she’d heard more than a few times.  
  
“I guess, we raised ’em right,” Keith said, a little exasperation in his tone as he and Logan came into the kitchen. “Why don’t you kids get comfortable while Alicia and I get this all put away.”  
  
“Veronica, go show Logan your trophies,” Alicia said with a snicker.  
  
“Trophies?”  
  
“Gawd, please tell me you got rid of all of that junk.”  
  
“Not in a million years!” Keith laughed, turning away from them to put vegetables into the refrigerator.  
  
“Come on, take me to see these trophies. I’m not going to let it go until you tell me everything. Just think of it as research for Vivian’s backstory.”  
  
“That makes it worse,” Veronica whined but took Logan’s hand and led him out of the kitchen and down a hallway.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm excited to be posting this finally. This is part 2 of 3, and I have a small trigger warning. There is a discussion of canonical rape in this chapter. It's brief, non-graphic, and touches on timely issues like the lack of kit testing and willingness to prosecute. I've put a couple of stars so if you want to skip it, when you see the stars just hop down to the next set of stars.

Logan took in all of the family photos, some clearly dating back decades. He even saw a few that had a woman who must be Veronica’s mother. This blended family had all clearly been close for a long time.

There had never been a random assortment of photos on display in Logan’s home growing up. No, only carefully selected, professionally edited photos that were as fake as the smiles they had all put on. This was so much different and better.

Logan imagined a wall filled with family photos, his and Veronica’s family. The ache of loss hit him like it rarely did anymore. He couldn’t bring his mother back, but he could make sure she was there. Maybe it was time to revisit the idea of a dog. He wasn’t ready for kids, but a fur baby had some merit.

Veronica continued to pull him down the hall until they made it to a small bedroom. It was set up as a guest room but still had a few knickknacks and tchotchkes on display, including a shelf of trophies ranging from small plaques to a few larger display pieces.

"So you have trophies, huh?" he laughed, pointing to the shelf.

"Um...yeah, I was on the dance team and pep squad."

Logan leaned into Veronica and whispered into her ear, “You’ve been holding out on me; I fully expect a strip tease—soon.”

He let the image of her strutting across their living room, shedding clothes as she went fill his mind. His pulse sped, and he felt her shudder against him. He wished they weren't in her parent's home where her gun-toting father was just down the hall. He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and moved to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He stooped down to rest his chin on her shoulder and kissed her neck.

“How come I’ve never seen your moves?”

A deep breath relaxed her body into his. “You have, all that ballroom dancing skill, it’s mostly from the year our coach wanted ballroom inspired routines.”

“Mmm, well, not that I didn’t enjoy those moves, ‘cause I did, but I’d like to see something a little peppier and lot naked-i-er.”

The sharp jab of Veronica’s elbow stole Logan’s breath on a choking laugh.

“That isn’t even a word! You promised to behave, what if my dad heard you?”

“I’d have had some ‘splaining to do.”

“To the scary end of a shotgun.”

Logan stepped back, still laughing. "Fine, fine, I'll stop—for now." He turned and looked at the rest of the room with its weird combination of casual guest space mixed with personal trinkets from Veronica's youth. On a different shelf, there were several more trophies, but these had soccer balls on them. He remembered her mentioning having played soccer in school. He stepped closer to look at the pictures of a pigtailed Veronica. Set a little further behind the rest was one with her mother. He lifted the frame up to look more closely. The resemblance was unmistakable, if he hadn't already seen other pictures of her in the hall, he still would have known this was her mother.

“We’ve never really talked about when my mom left.”

“No, but if you want to, I’m here. You don’t have to hide anything from me, you know.”

“Yeah, I know.” She looked down at her hands and then met his eyes. Her small lopsided smile and pink blush filled Logan with so much hope and happiness, things he never thought he’d have in this life. “I love you,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Logan pulled her in for a hug. “I love you, too.”

He held her until he felt her loosen her hold on him. He dropped his arms to let her step back and watched her put on a new layer of armor, protection for whatever she was getting ready to say. He was glad to see her willing to share, but hated, and knew all too well, the need to self-protect.

**

"The thing is—" she paused to tuck a few stray hairs behind her ear "—the reason I can't forgive her is that she left after I was roofied at a party. I was raped. She knew, and she left us anyway. She couldn't handle that Dad and I wouldn't let it go."

Logan felt the punch to his stomach; he knew something terrible had happened, but she'd never put words to it. He took a deep breath and pushed down the desire to rage, and instead asked, "What did you do?"

“Went to the hospital, reported it. Went through all of that only to find out that the DA never requested that my kit be tested. Called it a waste of money.”

Logan felt the heat building despite his efforts to stay in control. “How could they do that?”

“Basically, they said I was on drugs, that they couldn’t prove I hadn’t taken them myself. Kind of like Piz’s attorney did when he drugged Mac. It’s what any defense attorney would say— ‘he said she said’ cases were losers, and he didn’t lose cases. You’ll be shocked, I’m sure, to learn that my father did not find that to be an acceptable answer,” she said, her voice cracking over a hollow laugh.

“No, I can’t imagine that he did. I don’t think any parent would.”

“Ha, you of all people know that isn’t true.”

He nodded, even as his experience disagreed with her. If Trina had been raped, Aaron would have killed whoever hurt her.

"My mom wanted us to drop it, move on. But I couldn't. We finally got them to do the DNA test, but there weren't any matches. I heard her tell him, my dad, that we'd put her through all of that for nothing." Light reflected off the moisture that had filled Veronica's eyes.

**

“Wow, God, Bobcat, I get it. It’s not like with my mom, I’m so sorry.”

"You didn't know. I don't like to talk about it. People didn't believe me; they thought I just wanted attention. It changed things. These trophies, they're from before. When it happened, I made it through that last year on anger and vengeance. College was supposed to be a fresh start…”

"But then, Piz."

“Yeah…” She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him. “I’ll always be grateful to you for protecting me.”

“It was my pleasure.” He kissed the crown of her head. “I owe Piz a debt of gratitude. We might never have met if he weren’t a total lunatic. Though he was on to something, you’re totally worth obsessing over.” He held her close again, wishing that he could make all of the horrible things Veronica had been through not real. But now they had each other, and they would just have to navigate the emotional minefield together.

A loud commotion at the front of the house drew Logan back to the present. Back to why they were here. “I think there are more people here to see you.”

“Naw, they’re big Logan Echolls fans. Wallace totally had your Teen Beat poster on his wall.”

“Is that so? Funny, I can’t really picture it. But it does have me wondering, how do you know I had a Teen Beat poster? Hmm…”

“I plead the fifth.”

“It’s okay, Bobcat, I’ll pose for you as long as you do a little performance of your own.”

Logan grasped his shirt and slowly slid it up, revealing his firm, defined abs, and let his lips part in a soft pout. It was the pose he’d been encouraged to take during those horrid photo-shoots. But to hear Veronica laugh, he’d gladly strike a pose anytime.

“You are such a perv!” she said, slapping him on the chest in an attempt to cover a snort of laughter.

Logan grabbed her hand and held it to him. “_Your_ perv.”

Her fingers entwined with his. “Yeah, _my_ perv. Now enough of that, let’s go,” she said and pulled him back toward the front of the house.

* * *

Veronica reentered the living room to find her BFF hugging his mother. He turned his head and locked eyes with Veronica.

“Phew-we, girl! You should hear what people are saying about you!” he said, swaggering over to her.

"Oh, I have, Poppa Bear. Reports are: I'm brilliant, witty, and charming." She reached out and drew Wallace in for a hug.

He held her tightly and whispered, “It’s so good to see you, V.”

Wallace released her and turned to Logan, holding out his hand. “I think the reports had you as the witty and charming one.”

“The more reputable ones, but I’ll have you know I’m brilliant too,” Logan said, meeting Wallace in a firm but friendly shake.

"I thought—" Darrel started to say, but Wallace's hand struck out over his mouth.

"Don't overthink kid, remember what I said about the _ideo-vay_.” Wallace sliced his thumb across his throat.

“No talking about the—”

“No, no, no, we do not speak of it. Don’t remind me,” Keith said, taking his turn to interrupt Darrel.

“Whatever, you all suck. Veronica’s the coolest. She was all over TV, and she’s dating a movie star,” Darrel said, holding up his hands for high-fives from Veronica and Logan.

Veronica reluctantly tapped her hand against his, but Logan enthusiastically gave Darrel a high-five.

“I’m not a movie star, just the wayward son of one.”

“Wayward?”

“I’ll explain later,” Alicia said, laughing uncomfortably. “Come on, everyone, the food's almost ready. Darrel, why don't you go set the table, and by the time you're done, we can all sit down."

“But—”

Alicia turned a quelling look on her younger son. He turned on his heel and headed for the dining room, muttering complaints under his breath.

“So, what are we eating?” Veronica asked, turning to Alicia and her dad. “We just barely got here, did you already have something planned? Or maybe you all ate early?”

“Now, V, would we do you like that?” Wallace asked, sliding his arm across her shoulders. “We picked up manicotti from that place you like so much.”

Veronica leaned her head into Wallace’s shoulder. _Welcome home, Veronica._

* * *

He made his way to the small bar in the den and poured himself a generous glass of bourbon. He’d been watching his weight and his cholesterol, but it was the day before Thanksgiving, after all.

Relaxing back into his favorite recliner, he sipped and wondered whether he’d made the right choices along the way. If Veronica could have been someone different. If he’d handled things differently, made different decisions. Maybe she wouldn’t have left home.

A creak from down the hall alerted Keith to someone coming toward the den, a glance up revealed who he’d expected. Logan had obviously wanted to have a one-on-one with him, but it seemed he’d needed to work up to it.

Keith swirled his glass, the golden-brown liquid sloshed appealingly as the vapors stung his sinuses. Typically, he wasn't much of a drinker, but it just felt like one of those days where the edge needed a little dulling. And his temperament might be improved by a bit of warmth in his veins.

Logan entered his peripheral vision, a smudge of color invading Keith's space. The urge to tell him to get out soured on his tongue. Instead, he said, “Veronica tells me you’re not who I think you are. I’ve seen your record, prove to me that’s not who you are?”

Logan took a seat in the club chair opposite Keith. “I was a kid and acting out. I’m still that person, but I’ve grown up. I keep as much distance from all of that as I can,” Logan said with a shrug.

It wasn’t quite the answer Keith had expected, and something about the response set off Keith’s spidey-sense. He’d always been good at spotting bullshitters, but that wasn’t what he was picking up. It was something different, but he still didn’t like the taste of it. “What is ‘all of that’? A life of privilege?” He shook his head and continued, “I want more than that for Veronica.”

"I can't do anything about the money besides give it away. Which I'm not going to do—I earned that money with blood, sweat, and no shortage of tears," Logan said, making direct eye contact with Keith. The insouciance of his previous comment was gone. "And, unfortunately, because of what happened, we have to do some things for my dad. Trust me, that isn't part of the _privilege_ I was hoping to share with her. I’m working to get Veronica out of it, but she’s stubborn and won’t let me deal with it on my own.”

“It?” Keith pressed, taking another sip of his drink. He'd be damned if his little girl got sucked into the orbit of some D-list celebutante.

“Aaron. My dad,” Logan replied with a sigh. “She hasn’t told you about him, huh?”

“No, she hasn’t, makes me wonder why not?” Keith settled back into his chair further, let the cloud of gloom that had been threatening to rain on his holiday, pour. “Veronica, she tells me everything. Tell me, Logan, why hasn’t she told me anything about this _situation_?”

Logan's eyebrows shot up, and he asked, "Honestly?"

“That would be my preference. And you should know, I’m something of a lie-detector,” Keith said, trying to give his best Deniro.

“My guess would be she’s trying to protect me and keep you from worrying.”

"What about your dad would make me worry? I'm not exactly angling for the sexiest man of the year."

Logan's lips pulled into a tight smirk, and he shook his head. “He’s a son of a bitch, my dad.” Another shrug.

Now that he knew what to watch for, Keith realized the causal indifference the shrug engendered was fake, put on. He thought over the earlier part of the conversation: “_act out_” and “_deal_” stood out.

“Why do you live in San Francisco?” Keith decided to ask, hoping to put Logan on his back foot.

“I like the weather?” Logan quipped with a fluttering of his hand.

Keith let his features settle into 'serious-cop' face. "I want a real answer."

Logan met his gaze and held it. For a long moment, Keith wasn't sure he'd reply when Logan nodded curtly.

“It reminds me of my mom. And I like the ocean, but can’t live too close to Aaron. He has control of parts of my life. This distance allows me autonomy and a certain amount of anonymity—or at least it did—while still keeping to his stipulations.”

“Stipulations? Dealing? Why not strike out on your own? Ditch the money, stand on your own reputation?”

“Like I said, I’ve earned that money. Besides, I don’t want to end up like Britney Spears.”

This surprised Keith. Britney Spears had been placed under a conservatorship a few years back for drug abuse and mental health issues if he remembered correctly. He looked Logan over, analyzed their interactions, considered what Veronica had told him. Keith may have been uncertain of this man’s suitability for his daughter, an uncertainty that was diminishing by the minute. But nothing in Logan’s background check or their interactions so far indicated mental health issues or substance abuse. “You seem stable enough to me.”

Logan leaned forward toward Keith. “Oh, I am. But money can buy you all kinds of diagnoses." Logan looked at his feet, shaking his head. "I like my business. I have Veronica now. Losing that—it's not worth the risk. Basically, if I move too far away or try to cut ties, I'll have PIs, paparazzi, and who-know-what else all over me. This way, that doesn't happen. I'm starting to accept it all. So long as most of my life is my own, fine, but I won't go back to being at his mercy." He shoved back in his chair, his arms rising in a frustrated jerk.

Keith looked at Logan’s wrist, now visible as his watch slid up his forearm, and saw a faded old scar, round like an eraser on a pencil had burned him, then two more came into view. Logan moved to shift the watch back into place and met Keith’s eyes.

Keith nodded and went to the bar, refilling his own bourbon. He thought for a moment and then poured one for Logan too. Keith finally got it—where the connection was coming from. This boy—man—and his daughter had far more in common than he’d realized.

He held up his glass in a toast. “Here’s to independence.”

“Hear, hear!”

* * *

Logan slid the key card through the reader and waited for the click and green light to flash before pushing the door open. He still had a light buzz from the large pour of bourbon he’d shared with Keith and was starting to feel just the edge of sleepy.

After holding the door for Veronica, he stepped through into the room. The suite was comfortable and decorated tastefully, if a bit bland, but it was a hotel after all. Logan slid off his fleece and dropped it onto the sitting area's couch and kicked off his shoes. He sensed Veronica's eyes on him. She was watching him, impatiently waiting for him to tell her about his tête-à-tête with her father. But making her wait would get her riled up, and he loved a riled-up Veronica.

He continued to slowly pull off his socks, and when that was accomplished, he went looking for his Dopp kit. Her frustration was a tangible thing, he could almost see her vibrating. He tossed a few clothing items out of his way and was working hard not to smirk when she cracked.

"Out with it! What did you talk about?" she asked, her arms akimbo in an unsuccessful attempt to loom.

“What do you mean?” He smirked up at her, enjoying the frustrated flush creeping up her neck.

“With my dad. You were gone a while. He had one of his ‘scary dad’ talks with you. What did he say?”

Logan walked up to Veronica and wrapped his arms around her. “We toasted independence and your wellbeing.”

“You…wait, what?”

"It was fine, Bobcat, we both got to test the waters, and I think it went well," Logan said, releasing Veronica's hips and settling back onto the couch.

“Tell me everything he said. You may have misinterpreted…”

“No way, and not a chance,” Logan said, taking Veronica’s hand in his and massaging her tense fingers.

“Excuse me?”

"Let me enunciate." He moved his lips slowly, sounding out his words, "No w-ay, as in I'm not telling you what we talked about. And, no-t a ch-an-ce, as in, I'm very certain I did not misinterpret what your father said to me." Logan felt her hand relax in his, so he continued, "He offered me a drink, and we reached an understanding. Really, Veronica, I'm pretty sure your dad and I are going to get along just fine."

She huffed, pulling her hand away, and dropped onto the couch next to him. “If you say so. I just…I want the two of you to get along. I want you to be a part of their lives, and them part of ours, you know?”

Logan shifted her around and started rubbing her shoulders. “I do. And we will. Even if he’s still not sure about the man his princess is shacking up with, I’m pretty sure eventually he’ll get over it. Probably about the time we give them grandkids,” he teased.

“Excuse me, we’re giving them what, now?” she asked, turning her head but not enough to disturb his hands.

“Oh, definitely not now, I have plans for you that would definitely be cramped by night-long feeding demands and years of potential bed-sharing. But someday, a breed of child might be intriguing…”

“Great, now he’s quoting movies,” she said to herself.

“Someday, though, the thought of being sleeping deprived with you, well, it has its allures.”

She turned away and leaned back into him. “Yeah, maybe it does.”

* * *

Veronica fell out of a dream. From time to time, over the years, she'd had dreams about Piz. They were so strange and always different. Comical ones, scary ones, nightmares. But this dream was different. She couldn't see Piz's face. It was a dark orb bobbing among colorful lanterns. Just out of reach and when she jumped to grab him, she fell and just kept on falling.

Veronica took in several deep breaths, working to find her calm center. It was where she knew it was. Years ago, she'd fought hard to see it, and since being with Logan, it seemed to welcome her. It didn't hurt that Veronica could feel his deep rhythmic breathing against her bare back. She let herself melt into his arms and matched her breath to his, squirming a bit to get as close as she could.

Logan’s body tensed minutely, his breath hitching, then resuming its rhythm. If she didn’t know his body so well, she might have believed he’d fallen back asleep. But he was actually awake and choosing to let her decide if she wanted to engage with him or not. It was one of the many reasons she’d fallen in love with him. He got her, got her needs. It went both ways, she got him too. His need for touch and affection without cost. What they both wanted, needed, right now was to feel loved and desired by the other.

Veronica rolled in Logan’s arms until they were facing each other, leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his sternum. He released a contented sigh and lifted her up and on top of him.

He smiled up at her, and his eyes wandered south to her breasts, then back to making eye contact. "Waking up with you in my arms is some kind of miracle. I am so lucky to be with you," he said and pulled her in for a gentle kiss.

Veronica smiled into his lips and said, “You bet you are.” She tugged his full bottom lip into her mouth and released it with a soft pop. “I feel the same way.”

Logan sat up abruptly, hands gripping her hips, and kissed her more deeply as he settled her into his lap. "Mmm, I want you all the time, do you want me too?" he asked, bringing his thumbs to her center. His thumb passed over her and delved deeper, sliding against her clit. She moaned and rocked into his hand. "Oh, yes, you want me."

Veronica let herself get lost in the sensations Logan evoked in her. The gentle tug of his lips on her nipples, his thumbs teasing her opening with shallow thrusts. She loved it when he was like this, just enough of a tease to keep her on edge while building her up so that when she came, it would be intense and seem to go on forever.

"I'm ready; I want you inside me," Veronica said, reaching down to take him in her hand. Logan lifted her up, letting her adjust their bodies until she had him at her entrance. He kept a tight hold of her hips, and instead of letting her settle down onto him, he thrust up into her as he pulled her down. Pleasure surged through Veronica, arching her back and sending tingles across her whole body. She was just starting to recover when he thrust up deeply into her again and again, setting off a cascade of pulsing pleasure that went on and on. Just as one wave seemed over, a new one would crest. She felt Logan swell inside her, and a final wave took her. 

Veronica came to, her body feeling limp, heavy, and deeply sated. She rolled onto her side and looked to see how Logan was doing. His chest was covered with a light sheen of moisture, his eyes closed, and a soft smile curved his lips.

“Happy Thanksgiving, Veronica.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, talk about a delay! Guess a couple of months is better than a few years...Thank you for sticking with me and coming back to (hopefully!) enjoy this universe. I've been having a ton of fun contributing to The Ones Where Logan Lives collection. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, you really should, so many cool alternative endings :)
> 
> Huge thanks to Irma66 on this one guys, she got me to dig deep on my characterizations here. And always to Bondopoulos who never stops encouraging me to keep working at this and for her beta/editing skills :) And to all of you reading and sticking with our fandom — THANK YOU! no matter where you land on season 4, our fandom is more than canon and always has been. All of the wacky AUs prove it, I mean seriously...who would write about Logan being a florist...haha!
> 
> If you're in the states, Happy Turkey Day, and the rest of the world I hope you're having a nice end of the week! XOXO -KMD


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for sticking with the slow posting schedule on this one. I had hoped to post this yesterday for my birthday, but I ran out of steam last night. So here it is, just a little later than planned!

It took two tries for Logan to get them to the shower after their intense lovemaking session. Neither of them seemed able to use their limbs and resigned themselves to languid lounging for most of the morning. Finally, Logan just rolled himself out of the bed and pulled Veronica along with him.

They’d been playful and affectionate all morning, but the closer to Veronica’s parent’s house they got, the quieter she became.

Logan turned in the passenger's seat to face Veronica. He watched her concentrate on the road, small furrows and ticks crossed her face as she thought through something unpleasant. "What's going on inside that head of yours?" he asked, as he pulled his foot up and wrapped his arm around his knee.

She shook her head and took in a deep breath. “I decided I need to tell my dad about Lianne.”

"Your mom? Have you made a decision about—"

“No,” she said, cutting him off.

This wasn’t the first conversation they’d had about her mother since Jake Kane had made his offer back in the Napa Valley. But so far, they’d all ended the same, _'I don't need her in my life; as far as I'm concerned, my mother is Alicia Mars-Fennel. So, there is no reason to talk about it.’ _

He'd let it go for the time being because he knew how much it hurt to lose someone when you needed them the most. Though for both of them, that didn't cover it; Lynn and Lianne weren’t taken from them, they chose to leave. It was one of the many dark realities they shared.

“You know that I’m here to support whatever decision you make.” He noted her brow furrowing and quickly added, “or do not make.”

She maneuvered their rental car into her parent's driveway, parked the car, and turned to face him. Her face softened, and she reached out and took his hand.

“Thank you. There’s no one else I want to keep having this _discussion_ with. Well, I guess there is one other person, but you know obligated-sharing with my dad; it's definitely not the same thing."

Logan nodded and bent to kiss her hand. “You ready to do this?”

“I was born ready. I even wore my turkey-pants.”

Veronica was wearing a long, knit sweater-dress thing with skinny black pants. They looked soft; he reached out and touched her thigh, pinching the fabric. “Cheater! These are like, stretchy pants or whatever!”

"I'll have you know, these are very nice leggings that are an excellent complement to my sweater dress. Both of which were chosen with my eating comfort in mind.”

“Just how much were you planning to eat?”

“Prepare yourself, Honeybuns. We Mars-Fennels pride ourselves on our lack of Thanksgiving leftovers,” she said with a wink and moved to get out of the car.

“Game on, Mars.”

Logan followed Veronica into the house, and today, unlike the previous day, it felt warmer, homier somehow. Something had shifted in his perception of his place in her family. Maybe the inviting smell of food cooking was part of it. There must be something instinctual about the smell of cooking food that just makes you feel at home, content. It certainly wasn't from any happy childhood memory connected to the scent.

Veronica led them to the kitchen, where Alicia, with what appeared to be a bit of mashed potato on her cheek, was busy stirring something on the stove.

Veronica gave Logan a wink and then picked up a towel and wiped her stepmom’s face. “Been getting wild with the potatoes?” she asked.

Alicia laughed. “Yeah, I sent the boys to pick up the pies, so I don’t have my little helpers.”

“Does that mean the gravy won’t be lumpy this year?” Veronica asked.

Alicia threw a potholder at Veronica, still laughing. “I should hope not, you’re the one who made it.”

Logan couldn’t help but smile; the easy camaraderie of Veronica’s family was what all the staged events from his childhood never could be. Real. He stepped up to the counter and considered the different piles of prepped food.

"I can help if you want."

“Oh, Alicia, you should definitely take him up on it. Logan’s pretty good in the kitchen. He even knows Dad’s lasagna recipe.”

“I’d love the help if you don’t mind, Logan.”

Logan nodded and looked to Veronica, she still seemed tense and stiff, but her smile was genuine. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze and a kiss on the temple. “Go get ‘em, Bobcat,” he whispered and turned to join Alicia at the kitchen island.

* * *

Satisfied that Logan was occupied helping Alicia in the kitchen, Veronica walked into the living room. She strode past the fireplace and her father sitting in one of the matching club chairs, straight to the liquor cabinet. She poured herself a tumbler of the same amber liquid her father was drinking, then joined him at the fire.

Keith was staring at the flickering flames, no expression discernible—his cop face. He startled her by breaking the silence.

“I like him. Didn’t think I would,” he said, not turning his gaze from the fire. “You happy, Kid?”

“With Logan, yes, very. He’s so much more than I thought was possible,” Veronica said, allowing herself to relax back into the chair.

"I'm glad. Logan's got a lot on his plate. Said you were stubborn and wouldn't let him deal with it alone." Keith shifted in his chair and looked up, meeting her eyes. “I saw the burns on his wrist.”

Veronica tried to swallow, but her mouth had become a desert. "Okay."

“I know the signs of physical abuse when I see them. I’ll admit I never would’ve pegged Aaron Echolls as a child abuser, but damn if I didn’t see the evidence with my own eyes.” He drew in a deep breath, held it for a moment and forced it out before continuing, “Promise me you’ll be careful, Sweetheart. Men like that, they don’t stop being abusers just because their targets get too big to bully.”

Veronica nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'm trying to figure out how to get Logan out of all this without causing more problems."

Keith's forehead wrinkled as his brows knit together. "There's one other thing."

Veronica knew he was about to say something she wouldn’t like. She nodded her encouragement. _Might as well get it over with. You’d think I would be used to Dad telling me things I don’t like_.

“You've been through a lot, and I know individuals aren't statistics, but you're careful with _him_, with Logan, right?”

Versions of the sex talk ran through Veronica’s head. Surely her dad wasn’t actually planning to have a conversation about birth control. “Um…Dad? You know I’m an adult now, I don’t think we need to discuss—”

"No, not that! I meant how the abused sometimes become abusers."

"Oh…" Veronica took a moment to try to find the words to convey that she had no concerns about Logan becoming abusive. He did have a capacity for violence; she'd seen him take down Piz, and now he was learning from Ratner. But that was in contrast with his gentle, considerate, protective nature.

"Dad, Logan's goals in life have been to distance himself from his upbringing. He has a support network, healthy outlets for when he's frustrated or angry. I'm not worried about that, I'm much more concerned about him having to deal with Aaron while we’re there for the holiday premiere and awards season. That’s what we agreed to in exchange for his help with the public relations disaster my investigation created.

Her dad nodded and looked back to the fire. He took a slow sip of his drink, swirled, and took one more small taste before turning back to her.

“Two things," he said, holding up two fingers. "First, your investigation didn't create that recording, Piz invading your privacy and assaulting you, paired with incompetent and corrupt law enforcement created that situation. Do not blame yourself for that," he finished, and took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Veronica nodded, trying to internalize his words, make them feel real to her. She wasn’t there yet but hoped she would be eventually. “And second?”

“Second, if you’ll both agree, I’d like to take a crack at getting Logan some leverage,” Keith said.

"I think we'd both like that very much, but I'll check with Logan." Veronica looked down at her still mostly full tumbler and tried not to let her displeasure with other circumstances diminish that her father liked Logan. Even if he still had concerns, it was more than she'd hoped for. She took a deep breath, released Keith's hand, and said, "Dad, there's something else we need to discuss."

“What’s that?”

“Lianne.”

“Your mother?”

Veronica nodded and watched her father’s lips pull into a tight line.

“You’ve seen her? Did she finally reach out to you?” Keith asked.

Veronica took a deep breath and shook her head. “No and no. I met Jake Kane…”

“Oh.” Keith rubbed his bald head, a definite sign of his unhappiness. He’d remained fairly neutral through their discussion about Logan and Aaron, but if there was one topic that would cause him to lose his cool, it was Lianne.

"Yeah. Turns out, Jake is a close family friend of Logan's."

“He and your mother are still together?”

“So it would seem, though Jake is married to someone else. He claims she’d love to see me…that he’d arrange a visit. Like she’s some head of state of something,” she scoffed.

“From what your mom told me, he always treated her like…a possession, something you had to go through him to access. Until he didn’t. I never did get all the details of why he married Cynthia—no, Celeste?” He shrugged and scratched at the bristle of his five o’clock shadow. “Sometime shortly after starting college, he dropped Lianne for Celeste. I met your mother maybe a year later when she transferred to Fresno State, where I was doing my Master’s. Anyway, I think your mother just wanted to be taken care of, and in a manner a bit beyond what I could offer.” His shoulders slumped for just a moment, presenting a weary version of her father that she’d rarely seen since he and Alicia had gotten married. “Water under the bridge and all that,” he said with a quicker second shrug, and it all melted away, replaced by the man who had found his happiness. "But what about you, Honey, don’t you want to see her? I know you’re still hurt, but she is your mother, and despite her actions, she does love you very much.”

Veronica rolled her neck, hoping to relieve the tension that had been building, but it didn’t help. “If you say so,” she said, moving on to popping her knuckles, and not meeting her dad’s too open expression. “And no, I don’t want to see her. What would I say? What happy memories would we relive? ‘Thanks for running out on us during what turned out to be one of the hardest times in my life. Bygones.’”

A warm, work calloused hand took hers. The familiarity and comfort it gave Veronica chaffed against the wall she'd been trying to keep in place. She felt it all crumble and wanted to run, escape. Just as she was getting ready to pull away, Keith tugged on her hand. Veronica looked up through tear-blurred eyes and squeezed back. No running, she wasn't her mother.

“Well, maybe the bygones part, Honey. I think the rest would lead to one of those wailing regrets speeches. I don't think you'd enjoy that," he said, giving her hand another squeeze. 

"I don't think I'd enjoy any of it. I told Jake no," Veronica said, taking back her hand. She straightened her back and let her walls settle back into place.

"What does Logan say?" Keith asked, hesitating a moment before he leaned back in his chair.

Veronica harrumphed in frustration. "Oh, so now it's, 'what does Logan say?' is it? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you like him, delighted actually. But isn't it a little early to be throwing out that kind of cliché?"

Keith took a sip from his tumbler, a neutral expression in place. He knew her too well, and it really irked her just then.

She really was relieved to be able to move on from her vulnerable moment. “Fine, fine, Logan reminded me of how much he wished he could visit his mom…way to guilt trip. You two are cut from the same cloth.”

"He's right, though. Really think about it. If something happened to your mother, would you regret not resolving things between the two of you? You may have half-siblings; your mom always wanted more kids.”

Veronica paused, uncertain how that made her feel. Siblings. Uneasy, to say the least. If that were possible, she would want to know them. But that would mean being around Lianne.

“I don’t know, Dad, but I promise I will think about it.”

“That’s all I ask. Well, that, and foot rubs.”

“Eww. For the last time, no.”

Laughing, Veronica stood and moved to hug her dad. She still wasn’t sure that she’d ever want contact with Lianne, but she really would give it more thought.

* * *

Logan let himself fall into step with Veronica’s family, helping set the table and prep side dishes. There was something so natural about just being part of a family. He wasn’t sure he’d ever had an experience like this.

He noticed Alicia watching him, taking not-quite-surreptitious glances his way. So, Logan waited until it was just them to ask, “Is there something in my teeth? Or did Veronica put a kick me sign on my back again?”

Alicia laughed, free and easy. “No, no, nothing like that. Please tell me she hasn’t really put a kick me sign on you?”

“Oh, she has. She paraded me through her whole office. It was damn unnerving; every time we’d walk away, the people I'd just met would snicker and laugh." It had been confusing at the time, but Logan had later learned pranks, and jokes were part of her office's culture.

“Goodness, she’d mentioned they were practical jokesters there, but I didn’t realize it extended to guests.”

“Since there’s no sign, what’s going on?”

“I just…you look so…intrigued. I've never seen anyone so interested prepping candied yams," Alicia said, leaning over to inspect Logan's work. She let out a small gasp. "My goodness, Logan, that's beautiful."

Logan blushed. "We didn't exactly have meals like this when I was growing up. We had 5-star chefs create artwork," he said, embarrassed. I was always bored, so I would sneak into the kitchen and watch. Sometimes they'd offer to show me how to do stuff."

“I see. Is this okay?” Alicia asked, glancing at the disarray of dishes and food spread across the kitchen.

“Of course. I didn’t mean it that way. We never had family meals. It was always a production, a party, a carefully choreographed event. This is the first Thanksgiving I’ve shared with others sans a camera crew." Logan shrugged. "Usually, I'm alone."

Alicia dropped the spoon she'd been using to stir cranberries onto the counter and, without hesitation, wrapped him in a hug. "We're so happy to have you with us, Logan." Her voice lowered. “I haven’t seen Veronica this happy and relaxed, ever.”

She squeezed Logan a little tighter and started to release him, but he let himself return the embrace. It just felt so good, like the day before, there was something so comforting and safe about Alicia Mars-Fennel's arms.

“Thank you,” he said and released her.

Alicia quickly turned away, but he saw the glossy sheen of her eyes. Keith must have told her about the scars on his arm. Logan had appreciated that Keith hadn't pushed for an explanation, and it made sense that he'd have shared the discovery with Alicia. But knowing wasn't the same as it feeling okay. The part of Logan that had been trained since practically birth to say nothing—to keep the family secret—balked at her knowledge.

He was about to say something when the door swung open with the arrival of Wallace and Darrel. Logan took in their matching onesie-style jumpsuits patterned with turkeys and other traditional Thanksgiving caricatures.

“We’ve arrived with the pies,” Wallace announced, holding a stack of white bakery boxes.

“And you picked them up dressed like that?” Logan asked, waving his hand at their interesting sartorial decision.

"Hell yeah, man. This is a tradition. In fact, next year, we'll have to get you one."

It did funny things to Logan hearing Veronica’s brother talk about him being with them a year from now. He sincerely hoped he would be.

Logan leaned back against the counter, trying to play it cool. “I don’t do rompers.”

Veronica pushed through the door. He saw the wariness that had settled over her disappear briefly as she took in the presence of the pies. "I think you'd be cute in a romper," she said with a smile that grew to a grin, as the image seemed to appear in her mind's eye.

“Romper, pa-sha, these are genuine,” Wallace said. From over at the sink, Alicia could be heard snickering.

“Speed suits?” Logan asked, confused.

Darrel stepped forward and gave Veronica a one-armed hug. “V, my big-sister-from-another-mister, I am so disappointed in you. Your man doesn’t know about speed suits.”

“I didn’t want to scare him off,” Veronica said, returning the hug.

“You usually wear one of those?” Logan asked, looking more closely at the ‘speed suits.’

“I’ve been known to don a romper in my day.”

“Speed suit!” Darrel insisted.

“Fine, fine. Yes, speed suit. You let them watch Adult Swim, and the lexicon goes to hell. I’ll explain later because right now I need to confiscate those pies.” She held her arms out to Wallace to accept the stack of pies.

* * *

The weight of the pies settled in Veronica’s arms, but as she shifted to find her balance, the top box started to slide off the stack. Visions of smashed pies and ruined days sent Veronica’s heart racing. In a flash, Logan snatched the box just before it would have fallen to the floor and saved the day. 

Veronica breathed a sigh of relief. She'd been looking forward to the pies, and even the speed suits. This trip was going so much better than she'd expected. Her dad seemed to be warming up to Logan, and everyone else had accepted him as family. It was yet another reason why she just didn't think she had it in her to consider taking Jake up on his offer to see her mother. What was the point? She had all of these incredible people who loved and supported her through the good times and the bad. She didn't need anyone else.

Logan was still holding the nearly-lost pie and watching her with a puzzled expression. Apparently, she’d been still and quiet too long. She smiled softly, trying to be reassuring.

"Help me put these out in the dining room. It's too warm in here, they'll get sweaty."

“Sweaty? Pies can get sweaty?” he asked, rebalancing the pie and reaching to open the door.

“Oh, you know, like mushy watery stuff that settles on them."

Logan shook his head and followed her into the dining room.

“It’s a thing, I swear,” she said.

“Whatever you say, Mars.”

“Good man, Logan. You already know your lines. I think you two might be a good match after all,” Keith said from his spot at the head of the table where he was folding cloth napkins.

Veronica sat her stack of pies down and turned to accept the one Logan held. He had a smirk on his face, but his eyes were bright and practically danced with his happiness. Veronica pushed up on tiptoe and gave him a quick kiss, hoping he understood what she was feeling and agreed. Her father's admission would undoubtedly be a point of conversation later when they did a post-mortem on the day’s highlights.

“So, Dad,” Veronica said, setting down the last pie. “I see you snuck in here to avoid last-minute cooking duty.”

“I'll have you know, I was helping plenty before you kids strolled in so late. And what's this, daughter-o-mine?" he asked, holding up a mostly swan-shaped napkin. "I can origami a napkin with the best of ‘em.”

“The turkey’s ready!” Alicia’s voice carried in from the kitchen.

“You know what that means, kids?”

Veronica smiled; they weren't precisely a grace saying family. They had a slightly different take on giving thanks. She smiled at Logan and took his hand. "Come on, Honey-bunches, we're going to sit down here, safely out of the crossfire." She led him down to the other end of the large table. Sitting by Alicia would keep them safe from what, invariably, turned into a pea-throwing contest between Wallace, Darrel, and her father.

A few moments later, Alicia appeared in the doorway. She came through into the dining room and turned to hold the door open for Wallace, who carried in a large platter of turkey. Darrel followed behind him with several of the side dishes, including the projectile peas.

Veronica watched Logan closely as her stepmom and brothers filled up the table with all sorts of tasty dishes. He seemed to be intrigued and happy.

When the yams were placed on the table near them, he pointed and whispered in her ear, “I helped with those.”

The marshmallows were arranged in a pretty basket weave pattern across the top of the yams.

Veronica reached for Logan's hand under the table and squeezed. "I'm happy you insisted we do this."

* * *

Logan leaned back in his seat, trying to release some of the pressure off his belt. He seriously wished he had a 'speed suit' of his own. 

“Okay, everyone settle,” Keith called out, setting his silverware down on his now empty plate. “We have important business to discuss; Darrel, you’re first this year.”

“I’m always first, Keith,” Darrel grumbled.

"Well, when Veronica or Wallace give us grandbabies, then you won't be the youngest anymore," Alicia said, patting Darrel on the arm.

“Fine, fine, I want to pay my respects to the late great Lou Gehrig, and express my sadness about the death of Joe Montana 71 years after Lou’s death.”

“Bullsh—um, shirt!” Wallace called out. “Joe Montana isn’t dead.”

“It was all over Facebook, man. Done deal,” Darrel said, brushing his hands together.

Logan bumped his shoulder into Veronica, leaned toward her and whispered, “What’s happening?”

Logan could see Veronica smirk as she turned to him. “They’re saying grace and expressing thanks.”

“But we’ve already eaten,” he said, truly confused; even he knew that part was supposed to happen before the food.

“Eh, you do it your way, we do it ours,” she said, her smirk transformed into a smile.

“I don’t have a _way_. This is the first family holiday I’ve been to in years,” he said as quietly as he could.

Her expression softened, and her hand came up to stroke his cheek. Logan let himself lean into her hand, she pulled him closer and gave him a brief kiss. "Welcome to our family."

Logan felt a stinging behind his eyes and blinked rapidly to try to clear the building moisture.

“Logan, you’re up,” Darrel said, startling him out of the private moment he and Veronica had been sharing.

Veronica released Logan, and he took a moment to soak up the look of happiness on her face. They were family.

Logan cleared his throat and tried to discreetly wipe his eyes. “Um…okay, so we’re discussing athletes? And Darrel, Joe is definitely not dead; he has flowers delivered to his wife from my shop whenever they’re in the city.” 

“No way!” Darrel called out, bouncing in his seat. “Veronica, your boyfriend is the coolest!”

Veronica nodded and gave him a little shoulder bump. “Way to name drop, son of movie stars.”

"Hey, I'm just helping him get his facts straight," Logan said and kissed Veronica's cheek. "Okay, help me out, what are the parameters here? Dead athletes?"

Wallace laughed, tossed his napkin onto the table, and said, “Not just athletes, and they don’t have to be dead.”

“And Lou Gehrig?” Logan asked.

“A reference point,” Veronica added.

“Okay,” Logan said, buying himself a moment for a little calculating. “One score and eight years after the death of Lou Gehrig, the best film ever made was released to the world—”

“A movie?” Darrel asked, turning to Keith, “Judge?”

Logan looked to Keith, who had taken on a regal posture, ruling over his family. Logan tried to stay serious, but it was pretty clear this was all meant to be a fun game.

"Depending on the movie…" Keith said, rolling his hand in a 'go on' gesture, and Darrel grumbled.

"As I was saying, the best film was released. Co-written by the great Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern. Now I pose to you, who is still living, these three scores and eleven years since the passing—"

“What’s with the score stuff?”

“Artistic license, like Veronica said, I am the child of actors after all.”

Alicia and Keith shook their heads but shared a smile. They were enjoying his little show, and it succeeded in making Logan feel like he really did belong.

“A score’s like twelve years, right?” Darrel asked.

“I thought it was twenty,” Wallace said, pulling out his phone. “And why are we doing a math problem?”

Logan shrugged. “Why not? Think of it as my contribution to your intriguing tradition.”

Wallace held her phone up to Darrel, who said exasperated, “Dude, that’s like forty years, some of these dudes gotta be dead.”

“Cut back on the dudes, dude,” Alicia said,

“Come on, Mom.”

"It's fine, Alicia if he wants to sound Southern California surfer—”

Veronica started to snicker next to Logan, so he elbowed her. “I’ll have you know I don’t overuse the word ‘dude.’”

Veronica shook her head and continued to laugh while adding, “I’m pretty sure Dennis Hopper died a few years ago.”

Logan tapped the side of his nose. “We did lose the great Billy, though rather than a gunshot wound, prostate cancer.”

Keith smiled from the head of the table and had started to open his mouth when Logan's phone trilled.

Logan jumped and shifted to retrieve his phone, planning to turn it back to vibrate. He lifted his phone up and saw that it was a text alert rather than a call. The world faded and brought his phone’s display into sharp focus.

Aaron Echolls: _Plans changed. Parker will send new itinerary. See you and Veronica on Monday._

Their month to prepare had just been cut to a few days. Logan quickly flipped vibrate back on and slid his phone into his pocket. Aaron did not get to ruin his time with Veronica's family. Now Logan just had to ensure that Aaron didn’t ruin the life he was finally getting to live and the love he had finally found.

“Where were we?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks go out to Bondopoulos and Irma66 for their beta work on this one. I also want to thank Jmazzy for being such a spectacular cheerleader, all your encouragement and support have meant so much to me! 
> 
> A couple of quick notes:  
Speed Suits are a reference to the Adult Swim show The Venture Bros. Here is a little video clip: https://youtu.be/ImVJHR9cQ7o We’re big Venture Bros fans and I couldn’t resist slipping it in as a fun play on the ugly sweater tradition : ) (ugly sweater idea credit goes to Elliebear!)  
The little back and forth about Lou Gehrig comes from a request I put out forever ago for interesting family traditions. This one belongs to some family friends of the lovely Jmazzy!


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